Music Trade Review

Issue: 1904 Vol. 39 N. 5

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
VOL. XXXIX.
No. 5.
Published Every Sat. by Edward Lyman Bill at 1 Madison Ave., New York, July 30, 1904.
STNGLE COPIES, 10 CENTS.
$2.00 PER YEAR.
WHY NOT A DEALERS' TRADE-MARK ? Bid CONTRACT FOR LYON & HEALY. JONES & SONS GET APOLLO LINE.
The Suggestion of Mr. Harrison Before the
Advertising
Association of
Denver
Will
Doubtless Excite Discussion.
The feature of interest to piano dealers at the
meeting of the Denver Men's Advertising Asso-
ciation, held last week at the warerooms of
George E. Turner, was a paper read by Mr. Har-
rison on "Piano Trade-Marks; Their Worth in
Advertising." He said in part:
"The piano trade-mark is a good advertising
medium for the manufacturer, but is not of much
direct importance or benefit to the dealer, as, by
using it. he would be advertising the factory's
business at his own expense. The ordinary pa-
tron looks at The price tag more than he does at
a trade-mark.
"Many of the old manufacturers have pushed
their trade-marks at great expense. In this way
they help both themselves and the dealers. But
for the dealer himself to extensively advertise a
piano trade-mark is not an excellent policy for
him to pursue, as he might be advertising for the
benefit of some one else, and not receiving the
profit himself.
"It is not a bad idea for the dealer to have
his own trade-mark. It is not necessary that it
be an ensign or some other device; a certain way
of using the firm name, the arrangement of the
letters and peculiar style, are sufficient. There
must be a marked individuality, and this indi-
viduality must not be lost at any time. It should
be used on stationery, in advertising in the pa-
pers, and so on.
"Look at the big department stores. They do
not as a rule have an emblem as their trade-
mark. Their sign is simply their peculiar ar-
rangement or formation of the firm's name, so
that a person at a glance can tell what store is
indicated. Look at the Packard company. It has
a peculiar way of writing the word 'Packard,'
and still there is nothing emblematic about it.
It is now known everywhere. I maintain that
the dealer does not get as much good out of ad-
vertising a piano trade-mark as he does by using
his own trade-mark, and then referring to his
pianos."
THE AMPHION PIANO PLAYER
Will Be Placed on the Market This Coming
Fall in a Larger Way Than Heretofore.
The Amphion Piano Player Co., which was
incorporated last winter with a capital of $200,-
000, will place their Amphion piano player on
the market in a large way the coming fall. The
manufacturing headquarters of the company are
located at Elbridge, N. Y., and the instruments
are made under the personal supervision of the
inventor, Louis Doman. The Amphion playei
is already favorably known to the trade, and it
only needs the inauguration of an active busi-
ness campaign to secure entirely satisfactory re-
sults in the matter of representation.
Clough & Warren, Detroit, Mich., have received
a contract for supplying forty pianos to the pub-
lic schools, of that city.
Will Build the $12,500 Pipe Organ for the
German-American Music Hall at Akron,
Ohio—Will Have Three Manuals.
Lyon & Healy have received the contract to
build a $12,500 organ for the German-American
Music Hall, at Akron, Ohio. The organ will be
a three manual instrument of forty-six speaking
stops, twelve couplers, and thirty-five mechanical
accessories. It will be divided on either side of
tne stage, and will be played through a movable
console, electro-pneumatic action being used.
There will be an echo organ of six stops, includ-
ing a set of tubular chimes, in a recess near the
ceiling, at the rear of the auditorium. The organ
will be the finest modern instrument in the State
of Ohio.
Proposals for the organ were entertained only
from Lyon & Healy and a prominent eastern es-
tablishment, and the contract was awarded after
mature investigation and consultation with sev-
eral eminent organists. The organ will be opened
in January.
CURTAZ'S CHICKERING BOOKLET.
Benj. Curtaz & Son, San Francisco, have just
issued a folder devoted to the famous Chickering
piano, which they represent, that is exceedingly
clever and effective in conception and execution.
It is entitled "The Chickering and the Compos-
ers," and names and compositions of such great
masters as Handel, Bach, Gluck, Mozart, Bee-
thoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Liszt,
Wagner and Verdi, are happily intertwined with
a description of the Chickering tone, the qualities
and quantity of which enable the player to ex-
press the feelings of all these great masters most
successfully. Portraits of the various musicians
appear with the date in which they held the
stage.
At the close the point is made that "the same
satisfying tone, the inimitable touch, an action so
easy and elastic have all been recreated in the
quarter grand, occupying no more space than an
upright, costing no more, it is charmingly ar-
tistic and possesses all the desirable qualities of
the larger grand pianos." The house of Curtaz
is to be highly complimented on the issuance of
such clever publicity.
D'ALBERT'S TOTJR WITH THE KNABE.
William Knabe, who recently returned from his
annual European trip, completed all arrangements
while abroad for the American tour of Eugene
d'Albert, the celebrated pianist, which will be-
gin January 6th, with the Boston Symphony
Orchestra. Mr. Knabe is again in business har-
ness at headquarters in Baltimore, feeling in ex-
cellent shape after his holiday.
The Outlook for Business in Iowa Especially
Good According to Ambassador Pletcher.
(Special to The Review.)
Chicago, 111., July 21, 1904.
T. M. Pletcher, the Melville Clark ambassador,
has just returned from Des Moines, la., where
he succeeded in making arrangements with Edw.
H. Jones & Sons to handle the Apollo line of
piano players in western Iowa. Mr. Jones took
such a personal interest in the player that he
had one shipped to Lake Okoboji, where he, with
his family, is going to spend the summer.
Mr. Pletcher is enthusiastic over trade condi-
tions. He said:
"In the ten years I have traveled the State of
Iowa, I have never seen the crops look quite as
well as they do now and I am not altogether
a tenderfoot in this line, either.
"The outlook for business in Iowa is especially
fine. Although business is naturally just a little
quiet at the present time, the dealers, generally,
seem to feel that they are going to have a big
fall trade."
PRAISE PRICE & TEEPLE PIANO.
The following splendid tribute to the Price &
Teeple piano has just been received from J. E.
Ward, a well-known California bank cashier. It
speaks for itself:
"First National Bank,
"Modesto, Cal., June 30th, 1904.
"Mr. H. Hintze, Modesto, Cal.
Dear Sir:—It affords me pleasure to state to
you that the Price & Teeple piano I bought from
you a year ago has proven to be a first-class in-
strument in every way, especially in its quality
of resisting the severe strain usually affecting
other pianos, due to the extreme heat in this cli-
mate. The piano is rich in tone, finish and dur-
ability, and I heartily recommend it to any per-
son desiring to buy a first-class instrument.
Yours truly, (Signed) J. E. WAUO, Cashier."
WILEY B. ALLEN'S BIG DEAL.
The Wiley B. Allen Co., of San Francisco, have
just sold to the Conservatory of Music at San
Jose, Cal., nine Ludwig pianos, three Hardman
pianos and one Packard piano. It goes without
saying that there was keen competition, and tho
victory achieved by Mr. Allen is obvious.
METTEE NOW WITH STORY & CLARK.
WEBER CHANGE IN DENVER.
F. G. Mettee, who was formerly in charge of
the Kansas City branch of the F. G. Smith-Brad-
bury warerooms, has taken charge of the whole-
sale interests of the Story & Clark Piano Co. in
that section. He will control the States of Mis-
souri, Kansas, Arkansas, Indian Territory, Okla-
homa, Texas and Colorado.
The agency for the Weber piano in Denver,
Co., has been transferred from the Knight-Camp-
bell Music Co. to the Denver Music Co. This
concern now handles the entire Weber-Aeolian
line, including the Wheelock and Stuyvesant
pianos.
The C. E. Byrne Co., 229-235 East 41st street,
have a big force at work on the new Byrne
styles. The Byrne business is so firmly estab-
lished with live dealers that the call for the
Byrne products is substantial at all seasons,
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MU3IC TRADE REVIEW
8
ports from our special correspondents located in the principal cities
of the Union indicate a surprising activity during the month of July.
Some of the reports which have reached this office have been most
flattering indeed, and it does not show that business is languishing
even in the summer months, or that the decadence of the piano has
set in.
CCORDING to the expert opinions of prominent trade
individuals the article aneut "The Passing of the Piano,"
which appeared in the N. Y. Times and which was copied in various
publications throughout the country had its origin in the fake re-
ports sent forth from Atlantic City, announcing the wholesale de-
struction of pianos to such an extent that people on vessels twenty
miles at sea could easily discern the pyramid of flames shooting up
from the spot where the pianos were being cremated in carload lots.
The ridiculously absurd proposition of destroying property was
looked upon by various newspaper men throughout the country as
being so unusual that it must mean something more than a mere
bonfire, it looked to outsiders that the piano business must be in
a very critical position when it was necessary to burn up instru-
ments in order to create a place for new ones.
A
EDWARD LYMAN DILL,
Editor and Proprietor.
J. D. SPILLANE. M*n*rfln* Editor.
EXECUTIVE STAFF:
THOS. CAMPBELL-COPKLAND,
W. MURDOCH LIND,
EUILIE FRANCES BAUER,
Gso. B. KELLER,
A. J. NICKLIN,
GEO.
W. QUERIFEL.
CHICAGO OFFICE:
BOSTON OFFICE:
ERNEST L. WAITT, 256 Washington St.
E. P. VAN HARLINGEN, 36 La Salle St.
PHILADELPHIA OFFICE:
MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL:
ST. LOUIS OFFICE :
R. W. KAUFFMAN.
R. J. LEFEBVRE.
CHAS. N. VAN BURSN.
SAN FRANCISCO OFFICE: ALFRED METZGER, 425-427 Front St.
Published Every Saturday at 1 Madison Avenue, New York.
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
SUBSCRIPTION (including postal ) , United States. Mexico and Canada, $2.00 per
year; all other countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $2.00 per inch, single column, per insertion. On quarterly or
yearly contracts a special discount is allowed. Advertising Pages, $50.00; opposite read-
ing matter, $75.00.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill.
THE ARTISTS'
DEPARTMENT
On the first Saturday of each month The Review contains in its
"Artists' Department" all the current musical news. This is effected
without in any way trespassing on the size or service of the trade
section of the paper. It has a special circulation, and therefore aug-
ments materially the value of The Review to advertisers.
. . The directory of piano manufacturing firms and corporations
DIRECTORY af PIANU f o u n d Q n p a g e 2 g w i ,, b e o f g r e a t y a ] u e a g a r e f e r e n c e f o r
MANUFACTURERS
dealers and others.
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE-NUMBER 1745 GRAMERCY.
NEW YORK, JULY 3O, 1904.
EDITORIAL
R
ECENTLY a dealer placed a small announcement in The
Review offering his business for sale. To the little card
inserted, queries were received from a hundred persons who were
anxious to engage in the retailing of pianos, and who had sufficient
capital to embark in the business in a creditable manner.
We refer to this simply to emphasize the point that the retail-
ing of pianos to-day is considered a profitable enterprise, and there
also is ample capital to be commanded, whicli is ready for invest-
ment when it can be demonstrated that the business in any par-
ticular locality has possibilities commensurate with outlay and
energy.
Not a few years ago such an advertisement would have drawn
forth but few replies. Capital was not plentiful and the business
did not occupy its present important position. The fact that there
are thoroughly well posted men who have the capital to place in the
business shows too that there is at hand plenty of purchasing power
to establish businesses in the musico-industrial field.
Such a condition of affairs shows that the trade is not half as
bad as some of our pessimistic friends would have us believe.
T
HE head of some of the most important institutions in this trade,
whose ramifications extend to every city and hamlet in the land,
recently remarked that he was much impressed with some of the
editorials in The Review at the beginning of the year in 'which it was
stated that the concern who intended to hold its business up to the
volume of last year must place redoubled energy upon it, and that
instead of crying dull times, if men would place additional strength
upon the various departments their energy would be amply re-
warded. He said that instead of slowing up they had encouraged
every one of their men to work harder, had spent a little more money
for advertising, and started in with a definite idea of holding busi-
ness to the last year's standard if not exceeding it.
T
H E result has been that the volume of business transacted by
this concern equaled that of last year, the month of June
surpassing slightly June in 1903.
'
This is one of a number of instances which have come to our
attention, and which we believe well to emphasize. Again, the re-
T
HE wanton destruction of property appeared to the average
newspaper man first as an utterly absurd proposition, but
when the fake reports were sent broadcast announcing that the
burning of many pianos had actually occurred it then became a
matter of curiosity as to the causes which led up to such a destruction.
It seemed but natural to many that the business must be in its
decadence, that the passing of the piano was actually in evidence
w ft en the dealers and manufacturers felt it imperative to destroy a
portion of their stock in order to make a place for new instruments.
Naturally enough, this has had something of a depressing effect
upon trade in many localities, and many dealers have written us
that the people who had purchased square pianos from them recently
had affirmed that they were buncoed, that the pianos were actually
worth nothing, and desired their money back. So it was the father-
ing of such a ridiculous scheme by the Dealers' Association, brought
about by the kindly spirit on the part of some of its members to
shield the author of the proposition from ridicule, that has resulted
in a depressing national influence upon the piano business.
E W S P A P E R men do not usually take pains to inquire into the
growth or decline of any industry. They hardly ever study
statistical figures, and if they should scan the pages of recent his-
tory of piano growth they would be amazed at the facts revealed in
the development of great institutions of this industry. They are
inclined, however, to take a superficial view of the matter, and when
the two associations gather in convention, and officially appear to
be in harmony with the reckless destruction of instruments, it at
once occurs to the average newspaper man that something must be
radically wrong with the industry, that the piano must be in it?
decline. After all are these not reasonable deductions to make
from such an absurd demonstration as the public generally supposed
was made at Atlantic City ?
N
O matter if only three pianos were destroyed the fake reports
were sent forth ana swallowed wholesale by the press, and
now the press as a result of this retaliates in extended notices on the
decadence of the piano.
After all, is this not paying us back in the same kind of coin
dealt out? The first was a fake, and the return is wholly untruth-
ful. This should be a lesson to all music trade associations in the
future never to ally themselves with or father any ridiculous propo-
sitions simply because they desire to show a friendly spirit towards a
paper which knowingly sends forth reports which lack truth in
every particular, even to the extent of picturing the editor applying
the torch to a mountain of pianos.
N
T seems that Chas. Dold, who is not over popular with piano manu-
facturers on account of the methods which he has employed at
various times, is now elected president of the Piano and Organ
Workers' Union.
It must be conceded by all fair-minded men that, the position of
piano manufacturers towards organized labor has been one of fair-
ness. They have fought for the maintenance of the open shop, and,
from indications which are apparent on every hand, there is no
intention on the part of piano manufacturers to depart from the
open shop principle.
I

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